Nissan Qashqai vs Mitsubishi ASX

This is a useful car comparison because the Qashqai was one of the first compact crossover cars to be launched in the UK back in 2006/7. The ASX is one of most recent contenders to enter this market sector so it’ll be interesting to spot the differences and improvements over the past four years.

The Nissan Qashqai was launched at the time large SUVs and 4x4s took a dive in popularity. Since then the Qashqai has become a highly successful car in the UK. It was promoted more as a Sports Urban Vehicle distancing itself from then unpopular Sports Utility Vehicles.

Crossovers like the Qashqai, VW Tiguan, Ford Kuga and Skoda Yeti have revived the SUV, 4×4 sector as fun and family cars. Even prestige makers have entered this niche. The most recent entrants have been value brands – Hyundai ix35, and Kia Sportage.

The Mitsubishi ASX enters this sector with the ix35 and Sportage at prices to compete with the Qashqai which once had the price range to itself. All have significantly lower entry prices than the Kuga and Tiguan as well as the one time market leaders – the Freelander, RAV4 and CR-V. The Yeti is the cheapest.

Nissan Qashqai prices range from £17,000 to £23,000. The Mitsubishi ASX  from £16,000 to £24,000. No real difference there.

Both cars are the same overall length. The ASX has a little more load space with the rear seats up and even more with them folded.

Is there any real difference in engine efficiency?

The Qashqai petrol engine 1.6 2WD has a combined mpg of 42.8/44.1 mpg, 154 CO2s, 112 mph maximum speed and 0 to 62 mph in 12.9 seconds.

The ASX petrol engine 1.6 2WD has a combined mpg of 47.9 mpg, 135 CO2s, 113 mph maximum speed and 0 to 62 mph in 11.4 seconds.

These are lab’ figures so there may be little difference in real on the road conditions. However the ASX is significantly cleaner and slightly quicker.

The Qashqai diesel engine 2.0 2WD has a combined mpg of 47.1 mpg, 159 CO2s, 120 mph maximum speed and 0 to 62 mph in 10.0 seconds.

The ASX diesel engine 1.8 2WD has a combined mpg of 51.1 mpg, 145 CO2s, 124 mph maximum speed and 0 to 62 mph in 9.7 seconds.

Again little difference although the ASX is slightly cleaner. It’s the same story if you compare the 4×4 options.

The Qashqai does have a 2.0 petrol option which is a bit juicy and an economical 1.5 diesel which has a combined 53.3 mpg, 139 CO2s, 108 mph and 0 to 62 mph in 13.2 seconds making it the most economical and clean option.

With similar price ranges, size, space and engine efficiency there’s little to sway the car buyer if they particularly like the look of one or the other or finds the driver comfort of one is more to their taste. Both cars are among the most comfortable in this sector so it may simply be a matter of style.

If you are actually thinking of buying a car in this sector keep an eye on car insurance groups as you consider different models. If you’re considering a diesel engine calculate at what total mileage you recover the added cost of buying a diesel car with savings in fuel costs – you’ll find some big surprises.

If you too consider the Qashqai and ASX similar, both comfortable and stylish you may decide on the best deals for discount, finance, part exchange and add-ons. There can be a good 4 or £5,000 even more to be negotiated in this sector which can help contribute to later depreciation and running costs.

There’s also a longer 7 seat Qashqai which may also set a trend for the future.

It seems the Nissan Qashqai was a good idea at the time since proven by its continued sales successful which is underlined by many other makers entering this sector with very similar cars.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk car comparison site revealing differences and similarities to help you find the car to suit your purpose and purse.
data date March April 2011

Why The Interest In Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars?

Although there’s an enormous amount of interest in small cars today there is renewed and rising interest in Crossover, SUV, 4×4 cars.

Over the past four decades interest in small more economical cars rose every time there was an economic downturn or rise in fuel prices. Historically this hasn’t necessarily meant a rise in the sale of small cars. People said one thing about their intentions in surveys but that wasn’t what they actually did. The medium small Focus, Astra, Golf sector remained the most popular.

The reason car buyers have said one thing and done another in the past is although a car has to be affordable it also has to suit a buyers’ lifestyle. Over the past four decades small cars have grown from 3.5m to near 4m increasing their interior space and safety. Today small car sales are edging to the fore.

What is surprising is the renewed interest in the Crossover, SUV, 4×4 sector. This sector near died a death by 2007 because of running costs but has been rescued by the Crossover car concept. A Crossover car is built like a car – not a truck – and drives more like a car with more car like running costs.

It seems car buyers believe Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s are suited to their lifestyle and are now a consideration as they become financially viable. The Nissan Qashqai’s amazing success is a good example.

The Nissan Qashqai replaced their Almera which competed in the most popular Focus, Astra, Golf sector. The Qashqai is an interesting alternative to the ubiquitous family hatchback.

A Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform as is the Renault Scenic but the Qashqai does not have the versatility of MPVs so why the interest? Without going into explaining the body styles of estate cars, SUVs and MPVs the main difference is the Qashqai has a prominent horizontal bonnet as opposed to one box MPV style with a steeply sloped windscreen merging into a sloping bonnet.

I can’t analyse the attraction of a prominent bonnet, maybe it’s an indication of a big powerful engine under the hood or perceived frontal crash protection. Certainly Ford have latched onto this style feature with the new C-Max having a more distinctive bonnet more like the Kuga than the old C-Max.

I seems against all reason SUVs should compete with more versatile MPVs when it comes to cars suiting lifestyles. However Crossovers have improved SUV versatility. The interest in Crossovers, SUVs and 4x4s seems to be a combination of being an alternative to the ubiquitous hatchback, with near MPV versatility and 4×4 macho styling.

What nearly killed the SUV sector was the viability of running the things. Vehicles like the RAV4, CR-V, Freelander followed by the Tiguan have managed to survive but with entry prices £20,000 or more it’s a bit of a stretch from the price of a family hatch.

Although the Qashqai costs more than a Megane it’s close enough to be considered. What has really racked up the interest in Crossovers is lower priced entrants into the market like the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti.

All the new entrants have the 4×4 style, adequate – not MPV – versatility in the dimensions of a Ford Focus. This makes them strong contenders as cars to suit people’s lifestyles.

If you compare their performance, emissions and fuel consumption with traditional 4x4s the improvements are amazing. However they don’t come close to the new improved efficiency of the everyday family hatchback. But maybe that’s not the comparison being made. They could be comparing Crossovers with the cars they are replacing.

Car sales have been poor since 2007 with owners postponing changing their cars which are most likely to be reliable and durable enough to hold onto. If their car is something like a Focus, Astra, Scenic, Zafira then their versatility probably still suits, whilst engine efficiency and general running costs have been good enough. Who’d pay thousands even tens of thousands to change their cars for the same type of car with small improvements?

However a Crossover is different, might suit their lifestyle and is now more affordable. It will be interesting to see when car sales pick up if interest in the Crossover sector will manifest itself in sales as it has done with the Qashqai.

Certainly there are deals to be done with dealers offering heavy discounts and low rate finance. If you ask for even more discount and better finance rates you may well get them. Just be sure you also get a good price for your part-exchange and discount on add-ons. Don’t be swayed by one of these for deals, you need the best on all four.

Four things you need to check:

• Get the latest EuroNCAP rating for new entrants into the market – you need 5-stars and ESP/ESC.
• The elevated view of the road from a Crossover has many advantages but be sure you’re happy with the cars’ higher centre of gravity, it’s stability and handling.
• When considering different engine and trim options be aware of the changes in car insurance groups and the differences in premiums.
• If you consider diesel engines compare it with a similar performing petrol engine and calculate at what total mileage savings in fuel costs repay the extra you pay for a diesel car.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparison website to help you find the car to suit your purpose and purse

Has the Nissan Qashqai got any competition?

The Nissan Qashqai has been amazingly successful in the UK.  It was one of the first Crossovers to be launched just at the time SUVs became the kiss of death in 2006/7.

If we asked the question, ‘has the Qashqai got any competitors in its class?’ We have to ask, ‘what class of car is it?’ OK it’s a Crossover however so is a 3008 and XC60 but the similarity ends with them being called Crossovers.

It all comes down to style. An XC60 looks like a 4×4 SUV, a 3008 looks more like an MPV. Where does that leave the Qashqai?

The Qashqai replaced the Nissan Almera which was a family hatchback like the Focus, Astra, Golf, Megane. The Nissan Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform so it can simply be seen as a very interesting alternative to a ubiquitous Focus etc. What’s interesting is it doesn’t look like an everyday hatch. It’s different.

The Qashqai is built like a Renault Scenic which is also on a Megane platform so a Qashqai could be seen as an MPV but it couldn’t hold a candle to a Scenic for space and versatility which is what an MPV promises. Plus the Qashqai doesn’t look like an MPV because it has horizontal bonnet like a SUV, not a steep windscreen merging into a sloping bonnet like an MPV. A SUV is a two box style, an MPV has a one box appearance.

So a Qashqai doesn’t look like a family hatch or an MPV. It looks more like a SUV. Nearly all SUVs launched since 2006 are built as Crossovers on car platforms, not like old SUVs built on truck platforms. Personally, I think these new-comers are marketed as SUVs because they make more money in the market. A Kuga is on a Focus platform but it’s not Focus money. A Tiguan is on a Golf platform but it’s not Golf money.

A Nissan Qashqai is on a Megane platform and it’s not far off Megane money.

So a Qashqai doesn’t look like a hatch or MPV. It looks more like a SUV. Although its built on a hatch platform like an MPV. The big difference is a Qashqai is a viable alternative to a hatch or MPV with SUV style which is perceived and in most cases does cost more than a hatch or MPV. The Qashqai looks a bit of value.

To find cars to compete with the Qashqai we need to look at SUVs priced nearer hatchback prices less than £20,000 plus. This knocks out contenders which first spring to mind like the Captiva, Kuga, Freelander, and Tiguan because they’re too much money. The 3008 looks more like an MPV to me.

However the Hyundai ix35, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi ASX and Skoda Yeti all enter the market with prices near enough to those of popular hatchbacks. The attraction of these cars is they’re different from a Focus or Astra.

How do they match up to a Nissan Qashqai?

Price

Hyundai ix35 – £16605 to £23865
Kia Sportage – £17020 to £26755
Mitsubishi ASX – £15999 to £24399
Nissan Qashqai – £17595 to £23645
Skoda Yeti – £14645 to £23895

Overall length and minimum/maximum load capacity

Hyundai ix35 – 4.41m, 591(l), 1436 (l)
Kia Sportage – 4.44, 564,1353
Mitsubishi ASX – 4.3, 442, 1193
Nissan Qashqai – 4.32/52, 410, 1520
Skoda Yeti – 4.22, 416, 1760

Combined fuel consumption, emissions, maximum speed and acceleration 0-62 mph

Hyundai ix35 1.6 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 111 mph, 11.1 seconds
Kia Sportage 1.6 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 111 mph, 10.7 seconds
Mitsubishi ASX 1.6 2WD – 47.9 mpg, 135 CO2, 113 mph, 11.4 seconds
Nissan Qashqai 1.6 2WD – 42.8 mpg, 154 CO2, 112 mph, 12.9 seconds
Skoda Yeti 1.2 2WD – 44.1 mpg, 149 CO2, 109 mph, 11.8 seconds

The Yeti has the lowest entry price, then the ASX. The Yeti is the most compact with the largest maximum load space. All five rank closely for engine efficiency to the point there may be no difference in real on the road driving conditions.

Style and driver comfort are matters for your personal taste. These cars may not have the brand equity of a Land Rover however Hyundai, Kia and Skoda outrank most premium brands for customer satisfaction. Nissan and Mitsubishi have built their own band of loyal followers over decades and both have a reputation for making highly capable 4x4s and high performance super cars.

Obviously this is just a quick guide, but yes the Qashqai launched a successful concept so it was always going to attract competition. All are viable and interesting alternatives to ubiquitous hatchbacks.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. car comparisons revealing similarities and differences to help find the right car for your purpose and purse

My 9 Most Popular Medium Sized Cars

This class of car is supposed to be the car for everyone. The idea is you don’t really need an estate, MPV or 4×4. These cars claim to accommodate most of your lifestyle at an affordable price. That’s why they’re the biggest selling sector in the UK.

Of the 9 I’ve had to remove 3 because it’s impossible to calculate their value. You can view my method in the previous post. There’s no doubt the Audi A3, A4 and VW Golf are 3 of the most searched cars on the internet. But Audi, Skoda and VW devalue this because you can simply go to their site and freely download brochures and price lists.

Free brochures and price lists may not seem that important. However it complies with the original concept of the internet as a place to freely share information. If you want to be, do or have something not immediately available to you, you should be able to freely find the answers on the Internet – get a brochure and price list.

Google insist publishers go further with pages that not only provide this content on the landing page but do so openly with the minimum of navigation. Audi, Skoda and VW do this and there is no value in visiting any other product related site to get the answers you want.

Think of the advantages to the user:

• They don’t have to spend time and petrol to drive to a dealer.
• They don’t have part with their details so it’s private.
• They don’t need to answer questions from salespeople or on online forms.
• They can virtual shop which – I’m told – is enjoyable.
• They can place the full picture in their own minds rather than a third-party place it there.

I should make you aware there are 2 website models.

1. Free information but you pay with your attention being interrupted by ads as on my carbuyersinfo.co.uk site.
2. You pay for information without advertising.

Sellers who understand this by-pass both with free downloadable PDFs.

Having said all that it doesn’t distract from the -

Ford Focus being the most popular car in the UK both new and used. There’s now been a Ford Focus for sale for a long time, building a huge fan base and a global reputation for durability and reliability. It has dynamic styling, space, sweet driveability, economy and safety. You can download free information from Ford without exchanging your details – with a little navigation.

#2 is the larger more expensive Mercedes-Benz C-Class which has all the attributes of a Focus with a touch of prestige we wish we could afford which makes for a strong second-hand market.

#3 almost on a par is the Vauxhall Astra for exactly all the same reasons above. There’s been an Astra for sale for over 30 years and their list of loyal customers continually grows.

#4 BMW 1-Series may not be a top 10 seller and too expensive for most but huge demand for a used BMW 1-Series supported by enthusiastic BMW dealers brings the 1-Series back into the market.

#5 is the even more expensive BMW 3-Series which can appear in the top 10 new car best sellers when repmobile sales are good. It’s the huge and continuous demand for used BMW 3-Series that ratch it up the rankings

Here’s where I’d place the A3 and A4.

#6 is the Nissan Qashqai. It’s different. Spacious but not as much as its style promises. Comfortable to drive. Reasonably economical and safe. The fact is we like Nissan in the UK and the Qashqai has captured peoples’ imagination in away we’ve not seen for some time.  It’s been a real success story…

Like the VW Golf.

All the above cars are of a very similar size with similar space. They’re all good to drive and are economical and safe.

What sets them apart is the demand for them both as new and used cars. Most importantly over the years they have built a long list of loyal customers. If their web sites become trusted sources of information they’ll win in the future as the best supplier of information which is what our age is about. Check out the above websites and you’ll discover one is at risk for informative content, transparency and navigation.

The handful of remaining contenders don’t figure because the don’t pump enough volume of cars into the market place. The French have had more than enough owners on their books and many remain loyal franchophiles but not enough stick to figure in my rankings for popularity.

Regards
Ralph

Is There Any Real Competition In The UK’s Largest Car Sector?

The are over 30 small cars for sale in the UK. Over 30 SUVs, Crossovers, 4x4s of various sizes. And over 30 estate cars. Just over 15 MPVs and about the same for large cars and again luxury cars.

The surprise is in the best-selling sector there are just 15 real contenders. What’s interesting is when you look closer it boils down to a choice of just 9 platforms.

1. The Audi A3 and Seat Leon are on a VW platform. That’s three in one.
2. The BMW 3-Series seems to stand alone until you discover where they source diesel engines.
3. The Citroen C4 is part of the Peugeot Group who make the 308.
4. The Ford Focus and Mazda3 are on the same platform.
5. The Honda Civic seems to stand alone.
6. The Hyundai i30 and Kia Cee’d are one group.
7. The Nissan Qashqai is on a Megane platform and part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
8. The Toyota Auris seems to stand alone as does the
9. Vauxhall Astra until you learn where they source their diesel engines.

In fairness these cars are so good it would be silly to consider entering this market and competing with them. Only the Nissan Qashai appears different.

However, nine platforms dominating the UK’s biggest selling car sector. Many have Peugeot, Renault or Fiat engines. It begs the question, is there any real competition? Do UK consumers benefit from the savings manufacturers make with economies of scale?

If there was competition there would be differences in car prices if we took Ford Focus prices as a benchmark. Does the VW Golf diesel deliver better fuel economy and performance for the money? (no) Medium small cars are going to be about the same size with similar cargo areas by virtue of being in the same class. Is the Nissan Qashai that different? Ecology and safety features are now very similar being driven by agreements, legislation or taxes.

If cars are so similar in size, versatility, ecology, and safety and turn out to have similar fuel economy and performance then they’re just a commodity to be bought on price. Unfortunately if there are not a lot of sellers there’s not a lot of price competition.

Car manufacturers overcome competition with product differentiation. In other words they offer the same product with different trim names, different engines with different power outputs, different packs and options and say their car is different deserving a different price – not that prices are different.

They then add a raft of different offers – discounts, deposits, interest rates, payment profiles, warranties – but again similar to the competition.

It really gets mixed up when the car salesperson says you can only have this deal on this model, if you want that deal you have to buy that model – NOW.

Add a little sales patter and things get very confusing. One thing that bugs me is the way stability control systems are described to make them sound different and better when last I heard there were only two manufacturers in the whole wide world. Safety systems should be all be described in the same clear understandable way as should AWD and 4×4 systems.

Which brings me to the point much of a car is assembled from parts bought from the same manufacturers is Japan, China and Eastern Europe so they can’t be that different. Hence delivery of very French Renaults is being delayed by the recent disasters in Japan.

All this means the poor punter has to drive a really hard bargain to get any value. They need to do four deals. One on discount. One on finance. One on the part exchange price. One on the options. They have to be very careful not to be suckered in by one or two offers at the expense of the other.

For example the bits for cruise control for most popular makes can be bought for £50 from a garage parts department and a mechanic will fit them for another £50. Cruise control is over £400 on most car price lists. It works the same with fogs and alloys.

So are cars different when it comes to performance and economy?

If one car has a DVLA combined 50 mpg and another 55 mpg they warn if cars rank closely there may be no difference on the road. What does closely mean?

If a car hits 62 mph in 9.4 seconds and another in 10.1 will it really make a difference on the road? No. It’s who dares wins if you’re racing which makes the Kangoo 1.5 diesel van the highest performing car in the UK. And it depends when the next gear change is after 62 mph.

So let’s get back to competition, prices and value. A Focus entered the market at around £16000 back in Feb 2011. A Kia Cee’d is around £13000 and Astra £14000 with similar performance - big price difference. When you walk up the model ranges these differences narrow or disappear. The difference is Ford and Vauxhall will offer umpteen deals from their marketing programmes and special editions with special offers making little difference in prices.

If you want a competitive deal you have to take it out on the poor car dealers. I say ‘poor’ because they have little control. Unlike most retailers who get to pick products they think will be a hit with buyers and be winners for them, garages are dictated to by manufacturers who finance most of them.

During the four decades I sold cars there were many attempts by governments to change car distribution, pricing and promotions. They all fell by the wayside.

Your consolation is the products are good. They would be they’re virtually the same. The was a saying in the trade that if manufacturers come up with the right solutions to same problems the answers will be the same. You just get the same message in a slightly different envelope – another old trade saying when new models were launched.

The Nissan Qashqai is different – easier access, greater flexibility, a feeling of airiness and spaciousness, an elevated view of the road – but they start at over £17000. You can’t win.

Regards
Ralph

Why Is The Nissan Qashqai Popular?

The Nissan Qashqai is an interesting car because it sells well and was one of the first modern-day crossover cars replacing Nissan’s popular Almera  hatchback car.

The Qashqai is built on a Renault Megane platform which Renault also use for their Megane estate, coupe, cabriolet and Scenic. This puts the Nissan Qashqai dimensions in competition with hatchbacks like the Focus, Astra and Golf plus MPVs like the Meriva, Scenic and Zafira.

Whilst the Qashqai is based on a hatchback and built like an MPV many see it as a sensible substitute for a SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) with it being promoted as some sort of Sports Urban Vehicle – that’s not a class of car, I just made it up. Although the Qashai has 7-seat models you wouldn’t necessarily compare the Qashqai with Vauxhall Zafira models.

So how does the Nissan Qashqai compare with its competitors, what are its advantages that make it popular? We’ll see in a moment the Qashqai is fairly similar to the new Ford Focus for sale. It seems it all boils down to style which like comfort is a personal taste I can’t comment on for you. I can however compare size, versatility, driveability, economy and safety.

A car’s style seems to somehow play a part in a car’s standing in the market place and its prestige. For some reason many motorists attach prestige to cars styled like SUVs, maybe the imagine themselves as Royals in Range Rovers.

If you compare the size of a standard Nissan Qashqai with a Focus, Astra, Golf its about the same length and width. The difference is in the overall height with the Qashqai appearing significantly higher when in actual fact there’s not a lot in it – 4 inches. The added height and shape of the Qashqai helps it appear like a SUV.

You could take the view as its built on a Megane platform like a Scenic its more like an MPV than a SUV but we don’t associate Nissan with MPVs. Nissan are known worldwide for their 4x4s leading to the assumption the Qashqai is an addition to their SUV range. The Qashqai has 4×4 options.

As an MPV the Qashqai doesn’t compare too well with the Scenic and Zafira although it does have more internal capacity than the New Meriva. The nice thing about these cars are their ease of entry and exit plus an elevated view of the road ahead.

When it comes to driving the Qashqai it benefits from the Megane’s stable platform.

If you compare fuel consumption and take 1.6 petrol engines as an example the hatchbacks do slightly better than the Qashqai which is a tiny improvement on MPVs. The combined fuel consumptions are closely ranked so there’s no guarantee there will be a significant difference in real on the road driving that amounts to a significant cost difference with a Qashqai.

There are the same differences in CO2 emissions but again they don’t amount to a huge difference in costs. However it does pay to keep an eye on this cost as you consider different makes, models and their many engine options.

It’s a similar story when you compare maximum speeds and acceleration. All these cars will comfortably cruise at a legal 90 mph and more across Europe. There’s half a second, maybe one in times to 62 mph which doesn’t mean anything on the road. Around 11 or 12 seconds feels the same, it’s when you get single figure acceleration you feel the difference.

The last thing to watch out for is ESP. All the above cars have 5-star EuroNCAP ratings but not all have ESP as standard which becomes law at the end of 2011 so insist on ESP being thrown into the deal for free.

So you can see there’s no real difference in size, a little variation in load capacity, performance and economy are very similar. The big difference is in the way these cars are styled into the hatchback, MPV and SUV sectors which is why they call the Qashqai a crossover.

The difference in style stops cars becoming so similar to the point they’re could be considered simply as a commodity to be bought on price alone. It’s also comforting to know a mixture of competition and legislation keeps cars up to mark for safety, economy, emissions and performance.

Regards
Ralph